A Dash of Reality
Page 33
Before you start:
· If you are new to exercise always check with your doctor before embarking on any training programme.
· Establish a pre-marathon base of three to six months of regular weekly runs to build strength, stamina, confidence, and the general habit of getting out and running. Organising family and work commitments so you can make time to run requires practice, too. I suggest a base of two or three runs per week of anywhere between 6 and 12km as a good starting point for this marathon programme.
· Consider getting a gait assessment to ensure you are wearing suitable shoes for your running style. I’m referring here to your foot shape and placement – high or flat arches, foot width, tendency to pronate, supinate or neutral placement, midstriker, heelstriker and so on. No need to get too concerned about these terms as most specialty sports shoe stores offer a free gait analysis service and can advise on the correct shoes for you (in the hope you will purchase your shoes from them.) Experienced runners will tell you it’s the shoe that chooses the runner and not the other way around, so if you’re tempted by a brand because of its cheaper price-tag, funky trim or flashier marketing campaign, think again. Wearing the wrong shoes sets you off on the wrong foot from day one. If you can afford it, buy two pairs of the shoe BEST suited to your running style and alternate them. Alternating your shoes will prolong the life of the cushioning, which in turn will protect your joints from the high impact of running. Having two pairs also provides you with a dry pair for the next’s day run in the event you have to wade through puddles, sidestep a garden sprinkler or battle a rainstorm! Just like having a spare tyre in the boot, alternating two pairs of shoes ensures you’ve at least one back-up pair of comfortable already-run-in shoes to wear on marathon day. As you will be putting several hundred kilometres of running into your marathon build-up, your shoes are going to succumb to a certain amount of wear – although shoe technology is continually changing, a good estimate of durability is 500km of running per pair of shoes for average-sized people (lighter-framed people might be able to squeeze out an additional 100km.) After 600km of running, you need to buy new shoes. (Yes, I know they still look okay, but believe me, they are shot.)
· For your first marathon, look for a marathon course no further than a half day’s drive from your home where marathon day running conditions will be close to conditions you’ve trained in, the course terrain will be similar, you won’t be travel-weary, and there’s a chance some of your friends and family will be willing to drive the short distance to support you. Save the famous marathon abroad for another time.
· Consider adopting a cause and gaining sponsorship for your marathon effort. Running for a cause you believe in will help you to complete those final kilometres.
The Programme:
This particular programme has been tested by first-time marathoners and it works. (NB: not the exact programme I completed, since my training was dictated by the reality show screening schedule), There’s no reason why this programme can’t be tweaked here and there to suit your own personal schedule. Can’t run Wednesday? Switch to Thursday. Your favourite circuit from home is 8km, but the schedule says run 7km? Don’t sweat it. Run your favourite route, a kilometre either side won’t matter (check the distances of your favourite routes using mapometer.com.) Prefer hill running to sprints? Throw in a few more hill sessions. Can’t find a local half-marathon event to run in week 4? Could you do it in week 5 or 6, or in taper-down week 14? (You could skip it altogether if you feel you can do without the event experience.) Miss a run? Simply cross it off and continue from the next run in the programme. However, try not to miss the long weekend runs as these are the cornerstone of your marathon training. One or two long runs missed over the 16 week period shouldn’t pose too much of problem. However, if you miss two or more consecutive long runs, particularly around weeks 10 to 13, you might want to consider entering an alternative marathon event a few weeks further out.
Wk
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
5km
7km
7km
12km
2
Rest
7km
7km
7km
15km
3
Rest
8km
9km
8km
18km
4
Rest
8km
10km
8km
21km (event)
5
Rest
8km
7km
8km
15km
6
Rest
7km
10km
8km
20km
7
Rest
10km
12km
8km
24km
8
Rest
10km
14km
8km
27km
9
Rest
10km
14km
8km
30km
10
Rest
10km
14km
8km
20km
11
Rest
10km
14km
8km
30km
12
Rest
8km
14km
7km
33km
13
Rest
8km
14km
7km
36km
14
Rest
6km*
10km
7km
18km
15
Rest
7km
7km
7km
14km
16
Rest
6km
6km
Massage
Rest
Rest
RACE
The Sunday Long Run: The most specific preparation for a long endurance run is a long endurance run, so the Sunday long run is the most important element of the programme. Run at a comfortable, easy-conversation pace. During these training runs remember to practice taking on fluids and food (bananas, glucose shots, bagels or whatever works for you.) Raining? Run anyway because it might rain on marathon day, too.
The Wednesday Easy Middle Distance Run: The midweek run is typically about half the long run distance for the week but no longer than 15km or it becomes a long run in itself. Run by the beach, on a trail, up a hill to take in a vista, or with a friend and make this your favourite run of the week.
Tuesday and Friday Hill or Sprint/Tempo Runs: On Tuesdays or Fridays pick either a hill, sprint or tempo run. Most 42.2km courses are likely to involve at least some hills so it’s important to include some hill work in your build up. Climbing hills is also a great way to develop strength and speed. Plan a course that has a decent-sized hill in the middle, warm up for a kilometre or two, then run intervals up and down your hill (starting with three repetitions and building up to eight by the end of the programme.) Finish your hill run with a couple of kilometres of easy running for recovery and cool down. Vary the length and gradient of your hill work, as well as the number of repetitions. Sprint runs develop your speed and allow you get through the marathon before the officials pack up the drink stations, take down the barriers and whip off with your coveted “finisher” t-shirt. As for your hill training start your sprint session with two or three kilometres easy running to warm up your muscles, sprint as hard as you can for the length of a block, then recover by slowly jogging for a block and then sprint a block until you’ve done ten sprint intervals. You could do this run on a school playing field or running track. Short downhill sprints will help increase your frequency of foot turnover and teach your bod
y how it feels to run faster, although you should run lightly to avoid injury. In general, vary the distances of your sprint intervals (for example, 10x60m sprints or 6x500m sprints) and as you get fitter reduce your recovery time. Try five 800m sprints in quick succession with a strict three minutes of walking recovery between each sprint leg. Nasty, but effective. Tempo runs are a form of sustained speed training. Like sprints, you don’t have to bother with these if your goal is simply to finish the marathon, but doing these runs will help to get you to the finish line faster, reducing the overall suffering you will endure on race day. Once again start your session with an easy warm up, then run at a constant ‘comfortable-but-hard’ pace (around 75–85% of your maximum effort.) You should be able to grunt occasionally, but not hold a sustained debate. Hold this ‘comfortable-but-hard’ speed for 20 minutes and as your training progresses try building up to an hour.
Thursday and Saturday Active Recovery: Active recovery means you don’t run, but you don’t sit on the couch either. Take the opportunity to participate in some other form of gentle exercise. Take a bike ride, go kayaking, join a Pilates class, walk, swim, have a game of backyard cricket or go to the gym. Enjoyed in moderation and at low to moderate intensity, these alternative activities will keep your muscles fluid and prevent your motivation from going stale. Remember to taper these activities in the last few weeks before race day to ensure your body is fully rested.
*The 6km Short Psych Special: You will have noted that the longest long run on this programme is 36km, which is 6.2km short of the marathon distance. The Short Psych Special run is intended to simulate those last 6km and allow you to pysch’ yourself into confidence about this uncharted distance (Disclaimer: Ms Short has no formal qualification in this domain.) A few days after your 36km run, select a 6km course starting at the base of good-sized hill. After a short warm up, run hard up and down the hill for 20 to 25 minutes. At the end of this time you should be tired (your legs will still remember last Sunday’s 36km run and they’ll be protesting.) Without stopping to rest, run your 6km route and consider how it feels to be running on tired cranky legs. Take a confidence boost from the fact that if you can do it today, you should be able to do it on race day.
Monday Rest Day: This is your day off. Give those tired muscles a well-earned rest. Put your shoes down and don’t even think about going out. After your long endurance run your body needs to repair itself at the microscopic cellular level and it can’t do it while you are out running. I know, I know, you feel great and you’re rearing to go, but unless you are super-athlete Dean Karnaze, have a lie in, see a movie, read the paper, rest. No exceptions.
Race Day Tips:
It’s important NOT to try ANYTHING NEW on marathon day. Do NOT be tempted to try a new t-shirt, new socks or worse, new shoes. Stick with old soft washed-out gear that won’t chafe or give you a whopping great blister. Don’t try any new foods, drinks or medications you haven’t already practiced with on long run days.
Apply Vaseline or Glide to those tender places (toes, heels, inner thighs, backs or the arms, bottoms, bra-line) and sunscreen if it’s going to be sunny. Men should also consider taping or lubricating nipples to prevent chapping and bleeding.
When you leave home make sure you have a complete pair of shoes, ie: a LEFT shoe and a RIGHT shoe (This may sound funny now, but it won’t if you arrive short one shoe at the marathon venue.)
Make sure you have your race number (and pins), transponder, and proof of registration.
Prepare for inclement weather. Carry a thermal or old t-shirt you can discard en route, lightweight rain jacket, hat and gloves. Remember dry socks, another pair of shoes and warm clothes for after the race.
Arrive early.
Join the queue for the toilets as soon as possible. Take your own toilet paper because there’ll be none by the time you get to the front of the queue. As soon as you’ve been to the toilet, go to the back of the queue because in 20 minutes (the approximate time it takes to reach the front of the queue) you’ll probably need to go again. Repeat these two steps as necessary until it’s time to make your way to the start.
Line up at the appropriate start time. No matter how fired up you feel on race day, if you took 3h30 hours to run your 36km training run, do not be tempted to line up with the 2h30 marathon runners. You’ll get in the way and annoy the faster runners. In the same vein, don’t line up behind your expected race time either because you’ll be hindered by slower runners.
There’s a tendency to get carried away in the frantic push of excited runners at the outset of any running event. Concentrate on running your own race. You can pass those early speedsters when they run out of steam in the second half of the event. Instead, go out at a comfortable pace and if you are still champing at the bit at 35km, then push it up a gear or two.
Make sure you take on fluids and food at regular (30-40 minute) intervals and remember to eat and drink immediately after you finish the event (in the finishing chute if necessary.) Only do this if you wish to avoid an unscheduled trip on a stretcher to the first aid tent.
Passed the 30km and feeling unusually irritated? You’re probably overdue for a dose of carbohydrate/sugar.
Arrange to have some highly vocal supporters at the tail end of the event. Having your own personal cheer section will make you ashamed of your self-doubt and the temptation to give up which is flicking through your mind. You’ll be turbo-propelled to the finish line on the strength of their support.
Too exhausted/aching/fed-up to make it? Slow down and keep going. If you still feel like you won’t make it, then run even slower and keep going.
Congratulations, you’ve done it! You’ve run your very first marathon. Enjoy the moment. Bask in your wonderfulness. Allow yourself a week of assailing your friends and family with your amusing training anecdotes and your race day prowess. It’s best to stop there if you want to keep your friends. Instead, start planning your next incredible event.